Dubai: All three qualifiers made an early exit on the opening day of the Shaikh Zayed Cup 2011 that got under way at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort Fujairah on Wednesday.

Gregory Howe fell in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 to the UAE's top player Omar Bahroozian, while Nick Van Rosberg fought till the bitter end before succumbing 6-7 (1), 6-7 (1) against Qatar's Sultan Khalfan.

The third qualifier Faisal Jameel from Pakistan also worked hard before going down 5-7 (5), 4-6 against Fahad Al Sa'ad of Saudi Arabia.

Madanchi

UAE-based Iranian teenager Amirvala Madanchi - the winner of the under-18 competition - who was pitted against top seed Peter Wessels went down in straight sets 2-6, 0-6 against the former world no. 72.

Hamad Abbas Al Janahi, a member of the UAE Davis Cup squad who is back from the US where he is studying, also had a miserable comeback when he lost 2-6, 6-7 (4) against Bahrain's Khalid Al Thawadi. Al Janahi's Davis Cup teammate Mahmoud Nader Al Baloushi, however, was in fine touch as he secured a 6-3, 6-2 win over Saudi Arabia's Abdul Malik Bourssis.

The Al Nabhani brothers from Oman ran into mixed luck with Mohammad securing a 6-1, 6-3 result against UAE youngster Saud Al Ali, while Khalid went down in straight sets 4-6, 3-6 against Sebastian Swierk of Australia.

Wessels and Swierk combining to dispose off Bourssis and Al Ali

The opening day of the doubles competition also witnessed four results with Wessels and Swierk combining to dispose off Bourssis and Al Ali 6-2, 6-1, while the UAE's Al Baloushi and Al Janahi ran a marathon battle before winning 6-3, 0-6, 10-8 against Al Thawadi and Khalfan.

In the lower half of the draw, Bahroozian and Al Sa'ad scored a 6-4, 6-4 win over Howe and Van Rosberg, while the Al Nabhani brothers secured an easy 6-2, 6-2 win against the pairing of Faisal and Madanchi.

The men's doubles final will be held at Le Meridien Al Aqah Fujairah today [Friday] followed by the singles final at the same venue tomorrow.

 

 

Results:

(Men's singles) Peter Wessels bt Amir Madanchi 6-2, 6-0; Khalid Al Thawadi bt Hamad Abbas Al Janahi 6-2, 7-6 (4); Sebastian Swierk bt Khalid Al Nabhani 6-4, 6-3; Mahmoud Nader Al Baloushi bt Abdul Malik Bourssis 6-3, 6-2; Fahad Al Sa'ad bt Faisal Jameel 7-6 (5), 6-4; Mohammad Al Nabhani bt Saud Al Ali 6-1, 6-3; Sultan Khalfan bt Nick Van Rosberg 7-6 (1), 7-6 (1); Omar Bahroozian bt Gregory Howe 6-2, 6-4.

(Men's doubles) Peter Wessels/Sebastian Swierk bt Abdul Malik Bourssis/Saud Al Ali 6-2, 6-1; Mahmoud Nader Al Baloushi/Hamad Abbas Al Janahi bt Khalid Al Thawadi/Sultan Khalfan 6-3, 0-6, 10-8; Omar Bahroozian/Fahad Al Sa'ad bt Gregory Howe/Nick Van Rosberg 6-4, 6-4; Mohammad Al Nabhani/Khalid Al Nabhani bt Faisal Jameel/Amirvala Madanchi 6-2, 6-2.